Even if environmentalists have been ringing the alarm bells for years, the Moldovan authorities remain tight-lipped about the potential “humanitarian disaster” that could be caused by Ukraine’s plans to expand the Dniester Hydroelectric Complex.

The sic! Project has published a new article, accompanied by a motion graphics video, which explains how precisely water is lost and levels drop because of hydroelectric plants, how this has already affected the environment and water supply, and how the situation might worsen in the future.



Narrator text:

“Ukraine could leave Moldova without water supply because of the Dniester Hydroelectric Complex along the Nistru River. Besides the Dnestrovsk plant built in 1983, Ukraine erected a second one in 2000 and a third in 2009.

Moldovan researchers say this caused Nistru levels to drop by nearly two-thirds, and precious species of fish, such as the sturgeon, salmon and trout, became extinct in the river.

However. Ukraine has plans to build six more mini-plants along the shared river. Experts warn that this could leave large parts of Moldova (but also Ukraine’s Odessa region) without adequate drinking water supply.

During the 2016 drought, Nistru levels dropped critically to the point that Moldova had to ask Ukraine to open the dam gates so that Chisinau could get enough water.

But if Ukraine goes ahead with its plans to expand the Complex, Nistru levels will drop even more.

In February, Filip and Groisman discussed this, among other issues.

The two prime ministers promised further research and a joint committee to assess the Complex’s impact. For more on how the authorities responded to the concerns voiced by civil society members and environmentalists read on sic.md.”

The full article is available here (Romanian).

Sic! is a fact-checking, promise-tracking and explainer project implemented by IPN with the support of the Soros Foundation-Moldova and the Black Sea Trust.